Rock-drilling engine



No. 626,76I.

Patented June x3, |899.

vJ. G. LEYNER.

ROCK DRILLING ENGINE.

(Application led Oct. 12, 1897.)

(No Model.)

TA y 544mm@ boa @ff/.7. @ma @f 25%@ UNiTED STATES PA rENT FEICE'.

JOHN GEORGE LEYNEE, OE DENVER, COLORADO.

ROCK-DRILLING ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,761, dated June 13, 1899.

Application filed OctnherlZ, 1897. Serial No. 654,954. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE LEYNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rock-Drilling Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air or steam rock-drilling engines adapted to expel rock-cuttings from holes While drilling them; and the objects of my in-vention are, first, to provide a rock-drilling engine that will discharge against the bottom of a hole while drilling it a jet of the engines actuating air or steam combined With a stream of water under pressure; second, to provide means for regulating the flow of the Water; third, to provide means for conveying the water through the drilling-engine and its drill-bit and through the drill-bits cuttingpoint to the bottom of the hole being drilled; fourth, to provide means Vfor uniting/the air and water in the shank of the drill-bit; fifth, to provide means for connecting the waters'upply to either side of the engine; sixth, to provide an operating rock-drilling engine in which the drill-bit is stationary and is loosely and non-clampably supported by the drillingengine and is arranged to be instantly withdrawn therefrom or inserted therein at the will of the operator and which is adapted to convey a portion of the pistons actuating iiuid from the engines cylinder, combined with a jet of water, to the bottom of holes While drilling them, and, seventh, to provide a rock-drilling engine adapted to drive the rockcuttings from holes while drilling them and to lay the rock-dust formed by the drill-bit while cutting or drilling into rock. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an air or steam drilling-engine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an end view of the drill-bit end of the engine; Fig. 3, a section on line A of Fig. 1; Fig: 4, a section on line .B of Fig. 1 Fig. 5, a section on line C of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, an end elevation of the feed end of the machine; Fig. '7, a side view of' the drill-bit; Fig. 8, an end elevation of the striking end of the drill-bit, and Fig. 9 a section on line C of Fig. 1.

Similar letters and numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, D designates the cylinder, E the piston, F the steam-chest, G the valve, H the guide-shell in which the cylinder is slidably mounted, and l the feed-screw, of a drilling-engine.

The valve-movement as illustrated is fully described in my Patent No. 567,682, of September 15, 1896.

The drill-feeding mechanism comprises the screw l, the operating-handle J, and the feedscrew-locking mechanism K. This locking mechanism comprises the casing L, which incloses a ratchet-wheel M, which is secured to the screw, and a spring-controlled pawl N, Which is provided with a stem O. The pawl and its spring P are mounted in Operative engagement with the ratchet-wheel in a depending sleeve portion Q, which forms part of the casing L. The bottom of the sleeve contains a slot Q, and the end ofthe stem of the pawl projects into the slot, and a pin R extends transversely through it and is held by the spring P, which surrounds the stem in the chamber R', against the bottom of the slot and defines the depth of the mesh of the pawl into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. The casing is held over the ratchet-wheel by the Washer L and the nut L2. The casing is provided with two opposite laterally-extending ears S and S', by which it is bolted to the main guideshell of the drilling-engine by the bolts T and T. These bolts pass freely through the ears and the flange U of the guide-shell and are secured thereto by nuts V and W and V and V, which are threaded to their ends and which are tightened against the side of the lugs and flange. The feed-screw is threaded through anut X, which is rigidly supported in a depending lug Y, formed on thebottom of the cylinder D. naled in a lug Z, that extends across the IOO Its inner end is also jourend of the guide-shell. The pawl N, which is round, has a long sloping bearing-face and projects only slightly into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, which are square, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 6, and simply catching against their edges locks the screw against turning backward, or what is the same thing against the cylinders running down or back on the screw whenfdrilling up holes by turning the screw with its weight, but does not when in the position shown prevent its being fed forward. The pawl is reversible, and by lifting the pin out of the slot of the sleeve' and resting it across the ends 1, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and at right angles to the position shown, the pawl is drawn back away from the ratchet-wheel and the screw is free and can be turned in etherdirection, while if the pin and pawl are reversed end for end the ratchet-Wheel and sc rew are locked against turning to feed the cylinder forward. The object of thus reversing the position of the pawl is to prevent the cylinders accidentally running down on the screw by turning it with its weight when drilling down holes and the operator has left the operating-lever ofthe feed-screw and is engaged in setting and adjusting the engine or some of its parts, which, if this precau tion was not taken, would result in injury to the operator. The cylinderis provided with a front cylinder-head 2, which is threaded to the end of the cylinder. A sleeve 3 is rotatively mounted in the axial bore 4 of the cylinder-head. At its inner end the sleeve has an enlarged round flange portion 5, which projects and fits loosely into a counterbore in the inner end of the cylinder-head. l The flange portion of the sleeve is larger in diameter than 'the bore of the cylinder, and its inner end bears against the bottom of the counterbore in which the cylinderhead screws. Between the opposite side of the flange and the bottom of the counterbore of the cylinder-head and around the body of the sleeve I place a steel buffer-ring G, which is provided with a key portion that fits loosely into a` keyway N in the cylinder-head to prevent its turning on the sleeve. A rubber buffer-ring 7 is also placed at the side of the steel ring. These rings are adapted to cushion the blows of the piston that strike against the end of the sleeve, which happens when the engine is running and the drill-bitjs' not in striking position against rock. From two opposite sides of the flange-head of the sleeve two rods 8 and 9 project and extend loosely into holes 10 and 11, drilled into the piston. The entrance of these holes is provided with bushings 12 and 13, in which the rods fit slidably. The piston reci procates on these rods,

which Iare rigidly secured to the sleeve, and

through the medium of the rifle-bar 14E-and its ratchet-head 15, the pawls 1Q, and these rods the piston rotatively turns the sleeve step by'step.

The means illustrated and just described for turning the piston step by step through the medium of the rifle-bar is common to mentioned and in Patent No. 568,089.

most all air drilling-engines in use and is more fully illustrated in my patent above The arrangement of the pawls around the ratchetwheel of Fig. 1 is exactly the same as illustrated in that patent. The sleeve and rods and the turning of them step by step by the piston are also more fully set forth in application, Serial No. 633,955.

The essential object of this invention is to convey acombined jet of commingled compressed air and Water from the cylinder and from a source of water-supply through the drill-bit to its cutting-point, to blow out and expel the rock-cuttings from holes while drilling them, and to also lay the dust formed by cutting the rock. The amount of dust made in drilling a hole a few feet deep in dry rock without water in a breast of an average-sized mining-tunnel is suflicient to fill it full, and its presence is practically unbearable to the operators of the drilling-engine, and the use of some medium to lay it in the hole is necessary. Vater is used with the com mon type of drilling-engine by pouring it in a downhole and by forcing i't into up-holes-when necessary by any convenient means. In order to expel the rock-cuttings from the holes and at the same time allay the dust with water, it is necessary that they be introduced into the holes in a manner in which they will work together and in which each will perform its special work without neutralizing the effect of the other. Should the air be conducted axially through the d rill-bit to the bottom of a hole, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and in the above-mentioned application, and water be forced into the hole around the drill-bit, the air and water would be moving in opposite directions and would meet and the action of both would be defeated. Itis therefore neoessary to obtain the best results that the air and water should be united into a single substantially integral jet and be delivered at the bottom of the hole through a closed conduit arranged either alongside of the drill-bit or by anV axial hole through it, which shall be connected to the'aotuating fluid of the cylinder and a source of water-supply under suitable pressure. I preferably carry out this feature of my invention in the following manner: Axially throughthe riiie-bar from end to end I drill a hole and also axially through the striking end of the piston a similar-sized hole. The hole through the rifle-bar is counterbored slightly larger through its ratchethead end, as this end has a little lateral play in its supporti 11g-socket in the supplementary cylinder-head 17. Ahole is also drilled part way into the back cylinder-head from its inner side, which is threaded, and a tube 1S' is threaded] y secured to it. This tube projects axially through the rifle-bar and piston into a hole 19, drilled axially through the drill-bit 2O from end to end, which is larger' in ,diameter than the end of the tube. The end of the tube is reduced in diameter to adapt it to ex- ICO IIO

tend into the hole through the drill-bit for a short distance and is enough smaller to leave a clear space all around it for the ingress of the actuating fluid from the cylinder into the hole in the drill-shank. The drill-bit is illustrated with a hole of two diameters through it. This is not absolutely necessary. A hole of even diameter will answer the purpose. It is only essential that the end of the tube project loosely into it.

The drill-bit 2O comprises a shank of any of the customary forms of drill-steel in use. At one end M' it is upset and formed and sharpened into any one of the several cutting-points used for rock-drill bits, as they are made With one, three, or four chiseledges. The striking end O of the shank projects through the sleeve 3 into the cylinder and into the reciprocal path of thepiston, which impinges against it at each full stroke. The striking end-is formed into a polygon of preferably five sides for several inches from the end. At the termination of the polygonal end a portion 2l is preferably turned round, and these two portions at this end are a trifle larger than the length of' the sleeve, which is provided with an axial bore 22, that is formed partially round and partially of a similar polygonal form as the striking end of the drill-shank. The bore of the sleeve is made to fit the polygonal end and round portion of the striking end of the shank with a loose but snug fit. The drill-shank is provided with a collar 23 at the end of said round portion, which bears against the end of the sleeve and defines theinward movement of the shank of the drill-bit into the cylinder. lThe drillbit rests loosely and freely in the sleeve and cylinder-head and is not clamped or bolted to them, and consequently is free to be inserted instantly in them or to be withdrawn instantly from them by the operator. The sleeve does not extend quite to the end of the bore of the cylinder-head, a short space being left in which the collar of' the drill-bit extends. The rifie-bar, its paWl 16, of which one is shown, and the rear steel butter-ring 25 and rubber buffer-rin(r 26 are supported in a supplementary cylinder-head 17, which is threadedly secured in a counterbore in the rear end of' the cylinder. This supplementary head contains a chamber, in which the said rubber buffer is seated, and the steel ring is placed at its side and at the bottom of the counterbore in the end of the cylinder. The opposite side of the supplementary cylinder-headis chambered out to hold the ratchet-head of the riliebar and the pawls. The detail construction and arrangement of these pawls a-nd rifle-bar are fully shown in Patent No. 568,089, above referred to. The rear cylinder-head 24 has an annular recess, in which is fitted loosely a flat ring 24 (see Fig. 9,) in which a hole 24B is drilled, into which the trunnion 28 of the paxvl extends. Three pawls are used around the ratchet-Wheel, as shown in the above-mentioned patent, and one trunnion of each pawl extends into one of thel three holes 24B. (Shown in the ring in Fig. 9.) An axial recess is also formed in the rear cylinder-head around'the tube 18 to support the hub 29 of the ratchet-Wheel. The ring 24` is not used in the cylinder-head of the patent referred to, as the head bolts to the cylinder in that patent, While the rear cylinder-head 24 in Fig.

1 is threaded to a counterbore in the end of the supplementary cylinder, and it is necessary in order to screw it on that the adjacent trunnions of the paWls have a bearing independent of`the cylinder-head and one that will remain stationary while the cylinder-head is being screwed into place. The rear cylinder-head comprises a flanged head portion, With around body portion a trifle longer than its diameter, which is axially bored out from its outer end to form a valve-chamber. This valve-chamber is internally threaded to receive a threaded plug-valve 30, which is provided With a small hand-Wheel 3l at its outer end. Its inner end is`pointed to form a plug-valve, and the bottom of the valvechamber is beveled to form a seat for the valve end of' the plug. Axially through the valve-seat a hole 32 is drilled from the valvechamber through the cylinder-head into the Water-tube and the plug-valve is adapted to be screwed to and from the valve-seat and to control the passage from the valvechamber to the Water-tube. A gland 3l is mounted on the plug-valve and is threaded to the end of the cylinder-head, and packing 33 is placed in the gland to prevent leakage of Water by the valve. A shoulder 34 is formed by a portion that blends from the flange-head, which is larger in diameter than the portion upon which the gland is mounted, and against this shoulder around the cylinderhead is placed a Washer 35. The washer illustrated preferably comprises a fiat rubber ring 36, covered with copper 37. At the side of the Washer 35 I mount to turn freely a coupling 3S, which is provided with an annular chamber 39, and through the shell of the cylinderhead a transverse holeV 40 is drilled into the valve-chamber and forms a passage from the coupling to it. At the side of the coupling a Washer 41 is placed, and a nut 42 is threaded to the cylinder-headat the side of the said Washer Which is adapted to compress the coupling and Washers against the said shoulder and each other and prevent leakage of the Waterfrom the coupling. One

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side of the coupling is provided with a projecting threaded nipple 43, to which a hose may be secured, Which should connect the coupling with any suitable supply of Water under suitable pressure. By slightly loosencylinder over the supplementary cylinderhead and drill the cap-screw hole into the supplementary head and also drill a second hole 45 from the adjacent recess of the pawls trunnion to intersect it. lThese holes form an oil-passage to the pawls and ratchet, while the oil also Works along the rifi'e-bar to the rifle-nut 46 in the piston-head.

The operation of myimproved drilling-engine is as follows: Compressed air, which is the most generally used actuating uid, is admitted to the steam-chest F throug'hthe side inlets 47, and the Valve G is reciprocated in the chest and admits the actuating fluid alternately to the opposite ends of the cylinder through the ports 48, and the piston is reciprocatedby the actuating duid and is turned v step by step by sliding on the rifle-bar, which is held against turning in one direction by its pawls. The step-by-st'ep turning movement of the piston is imparted to the sleeve 3 through the medium of the rods 8 and 9, and the drill-bit is rotated step by step by the sleeve. When the actuating fluid rushes into the front end of the cylinder, it moves the piston backward and also moves the drill forward against the rock if the engine is in operative relatiorrto rock, and it rushes into the shank of the drill-bit and through it to its cutting-point in a puff-like volume.

The water should preferably beu-nder pressure enough to dow to and through the drilling-engine and drill-bitwithout causing back pressure on the actuating fluid mingling with it. The' water-supply pipe or hose is connected to the coupling, and the water flowsv through it into the valve-chamber and from' the valve-chamber into and through the tube into the shank of the drill-bit andpmiXes and commingles with the actuating fluid of the cylinder as they both How through the drillbit together.

It is not necessary that the air should disseminated through the Water. It may even combine with it in the form of independent air-piston-like sections as they both now along. The water flows in a steady stream; but the size of the' stream can be regulated by the plug-valve and can be reduced to a size that when mingled with air will result in a sprayl which is4 discharged in pus from the drill'- bit in the bottom of the hole immediately after each blow of the piston against the drillbit and oli'- the drill-bit against the rock and allays the dust as well as drives the rockcuttings from the hole.

Some-kindsl of rock will require more water than a spray would give; but any amount' of water can be combined' with the air and may be discharged in a steady stream,if necessary, asits volume can be regulated by the plugvalve.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A'rock-drilling engine providedV with a drill-bit arranged to project' into the cylinder of the drilling-engine and arranged to be op-A eratively struck upon its end bythe reciprocal movements of the engines piston and containing a passage or conduit from said engines cylinder to or adjacent to said drillbits cutting-point and a water vpassage or tube or conduit and a suitable Water-supply through said drilling-engine to said passage in said drill-bit whereby a commingled snpply of the cylinders actuating iiuid and water is conveyed from said drilling-engine through said drill-bit to its cutting-point and 'to the bottom of holes in rock while drilling them, substantially as described.

2. A rock-drillin g engine comprisinga suita water-conveying tube'or conduit and a suitable Water-supply connecting with the said passage or conduit in said drill-bits and a combined stream of water and the eylinders actuating iiuid liowing through said drill-bits to their cutting-points and to the bottom of holes while drilling them, whereby a combined stream of commingle'd actuating fluid and Water is forced to the cutting-points of said drill-bits while drilling rock, and the rock-cuttings are thereby rejected, substantially as described;

3. In a drilling-engine, the combination with the cylinder and the piston, of a drill-bit containing axial hole from end toend and extending into the cylinder and open to the engines actuating uid, an axial bore through IOO IIO

said piston, and a tube in said bore projecting into the' hole in said drill-bit, substantiallyas described.

et. The combination in arock-drilling engine of the cylinder, the'piston, the cylinderheads, the sleeve and the hollow drill, with a liquid or Water conveying tube through said piston connected with said hollow drill, a passage from said cylinder adapted to allow the cylinders actuating fluid to iow into said hollow drill whereby a combined stream of liquid and actuating duid is caused to flow through said drill-bit to the bottoms of holes while drilling them, and means including a valve for controlling -the volume and pressure of said liquid and actuating fluid stream, subfrom or inserted in said sleeve and provided with means for defining its operative position in said sleeve and to said cylinder and piston, and with a fixed tube projecting from the rear end of said cylinder freely through said piston and extending into said drill-bit, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the cylinder and the piston of ahollow drill-bit projecting into said cylinder into the reciprocating path otI the piston and arranged to convey a portion of the pistons actuating fiuid to the bottom of holes while drilling them, of a water-tube projecting into said drill-bit foi-supplying water under pressure and mingling it with the actuating Huid of said drill-bit and discharging into the bottoms of holes while drilling them in a combined stream of actuating fluid and water, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the cylinder and the piston, of the front, the rear, and the supplementary cylinder-heads, a hollow drill-bit projectinginto said cylinder in the path of the piston and a Water-inlet tube secured to said rear cylinder-head and projecting through 'said piston into said drill-bit, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the piston, the drill-bit; the supplementary cylinder-head; the rifle-bar and the rear cylinder-head having a water-inlet tube secured thereto and projecting therefrom loosely through the aX'ial center of said rifle-bar and said piston into the striking end of said drill-bit, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the drill-bit, the piston and the rifle-bar; axial holes through said rifle-bar and piston; a water-inlet tube projecting loosely through said axial holes into said drill-bit adapted to conducta stream of water under pressure through said tube and drill-bit; and a valve for controlling the flow 'of said water, substantially as described.

lO. The combination in a rock-drilling engine of a piston having an axial bore, a riflebar also having an axial bore; a cylinder-head having a tube projecting through said riflebar and piston; a water-passage to said tube; a valve adjacent to said tube for controlling said passage; means for mingling said water with a portion of the engines actuating iuid and means for conducting said actuating fluid and water in a combined stream to the bottom of holes in rock while drilling them, substantially as described.

l1. The combination with the hollow drillbit, of the sleeve; the cylinder; the piston, the rifle-bar; and the rear cylinder-head having a water-inlettube projecting through said rifle-bar and piston into said drill-bit; and a passage around said tube from said cylinder into said drill-bit; substantially as described.

ter, and a Water-inlet coupling adapted to connect with a source ot' water-supply on either side of said cylinder, substantially as described.

14. The combination with the piston havi ingan axial hole, the drill-bit; the riiie-bar having an axial hole and the back cylinderhead carrying a water-inlet tube projecting through the axial bores of said ride-bar and piston; with a water-inlet coupling rotatably mounted on said cylinder-head; a passage from said coupling to said tube and means including a nut and thread for packing said coupling against leakage, Vsubstantially as described.

15. The combination with the piston and the hollow drill-bit, of the back cylinder-head, the water-inlet tube projecting therefrom through said piston and into said drill-bit, a passage through said cylinder-head for the admittance of water under pressure to said tube and drill-bit; a'valve, controlling said passage and a suitable packing device for said valve, substantially as described.

16. The combination of the hollow drill-bit, the piston, the ride-bar; and the back cylinder-head, with a tube projecting loosely through bores -in said ride-bar and piston and with a water-inlet coupling having a hose or pipe connecting nipple, and a passage from said coupling to said tube, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the back cylinder-head, of the rotatable water-coupling mounted thereon, a shoulder or abutment adjacent to said coupling; a washer between said coupling and said shoulder; a second washer on the opposite side of said coupling; and a nut threaded `to said cylinder-head adapted to tighten said washers and coupling against said shoulder and thereby pack said cylinder against leakage, substantially as described.

' 18. The combination of the supplementary cylinder-head, the rear cylinder-head secured thereto, the Water-inlet tube; the rifle-bar revoluble on said tube; the piston arranged to reciprocate and turn on said tube and the hollow drill-bit surrounding the discharging end of said tube, substantially as described.

19. The combination with the back cylinder-head, of the water-inlet coupling rotatively mounted thereon, the washers at its sides and the tightening-nut, substantially as described.

20. The combination of the back cylinderhead, the plu g-valve threaded thereto and the IOO IIO

gland and packing surrounding said valve and theend of sai-d cylinder-head, substantielly as described.

21. The combination with the cylinder, of the piston, the hollow drill-bit, the rifle-bar and the Water-inlettube Aprojecting through said rifle-bar and piston into said drill-bit, with the back cylinder-head, the water-inlet passage therein 5 the Water-inlet coupling and the valve for controlling said Witter-,inlet passage, substantially as described.

22. The combination of the cylinder, the piston, Ithe rifle-bar and the pawls, with the supplementary cylinder-head and yback eylinder-head, the pawl-trimmen-supporting ring; e. Water-inlet tube, athreaded :hole in' y said cylinder and into seidsnpplementary cylinder-head; a cap-screw in said threaded hole and an oil-hole leading from said cap-screw hole to said pmvls and rifle-bansubsrantially as described.

23. The combination of the eylinde1,the supplem entmy-eylinder-head threaded there- 'to and having an oil-hole therein, n. cap in said oil-hole, the pztwls, the paWl-trunnionsupporting ring, the rifle-bar supported by said supplementary cylinder-head and an oilpassage from said oil-hole to lseid pawls and rifle-bar, with the rear cylinder-head and the .Water-inlet tube, substantially as described.

JOHN GEORGE LEYNER.

VVitnesse's: n

SAMUEL ELIsHA FOWLER, CLARENCE A. LAWSON. 

